The blog of Hannah Robinson, artist, illustrator and graphic designer.

Monday, 6 February 2012

Aaaargh...

...my blogging has really suffered lately, what with other bits and bobs going on. Ironically I'm almost certainly less busy than I was in 2011, due to the fact that I gave up a couple of regular commitments in order to empty my week and start new hobbies. I haven't started any new ones yet, but I'm not too worried about that, as I'm often busy to a fault, and it can't hurt to have slowed down a bit.

This past month I have: attended a zine meet in Coventry (loads of fun, big shouts to all those who were there), been to Prague with friends, written and finished the first edition of Any Old Iron, my new zine, and had a friend to stay from the United States. He's studying in London and wanted to see British life outside the capital, and I'm pleased to say I think we managed to oblige. I cooked him a proper English breakfast and took him to some of the finest pubs Peterborough has to offer, as well as our stunning cathedral. It was great to see a visitor's perspective on familiar sights, and to have him leave with good memories.

My online shops have been as quiet as the grave this month, dead as a doornail, no sales whatsoever. It's probably not unusual for this time of year, but slightly disconcerting nonetheless, it makes you wonder if your stuff is worthwhile to anyone. Mind you, it was doing okay before Christmas. Plus I don't depend on my shops for an income, so I have to remind myself that these shops are simply a good way for me to 'test the water' as to what's popular.

I'm getting more and more into zines lately, I've now swapped a fair few with people around the globe. One of the main reason I love zines is that they are mainly produced with no thought of profit or promotion, in that way the work is pure and very creative. I've found zine making to have revitalised my personal creative process, which has leaked into my work. I've been feeling the need to refresh my style and approach for ages, I just didn't know how to do it! Here are some of my recent buys/swaps:

This zine is full of Lee's beautiful line work and his gentle musings on life. He's a great writer and formidable artist. A zine that gets you thinking and examining your life, as well as having a peek into his.

I bought this one off Etsy, it's a riot of colour, based around food and recipes, with anecdotes, instructions and quirky collages throughout. A lot of the recipes are new to me so I'd like to try them, in the privacy of my own home of course, as my cooking is, well, pretty terrible, sadly.